Helen Dorene Bessey Landers went to be with her Lord and Savior on July 2, 2026 at the age of 95. Dorene was born on May 17, 1931 just outside of Porterville, California to her parents Merritt Cole Bessey and Lura Elmina Bundy Bessey. Dorene was the youngest of thirteen children. She met Richard (Dick) S. Landers at their church youth group and married on June 17, 1950. They were married for over 62 years. Dick and Dorene raised three children: Gerald, Leslie and Randall (Randy).

Dorene was a devout Christian and loved her Lord. She was always involved in her church no matter where she was living at the time. For the last 38 years, she had been active at SpiritLife Church in Tulsa. She had a desire to reach out to others and to make sure they knew how much they were loved by God and how she hoped she would see them in heaven. She had also been involved, for many years, in a Card Ministry at a Methodist church in town. She made many precious friends there that she cherished while sharing in this outreach. She loved sewing clothes for her children and grandchildren as well as making gorgeous quilts for them. She loved to cook - and she was a very good cook - and enjoyed collecting cookbooks. She had quite a large collection and quite a variety of cookbooks. She also liked to garden, travel the United States and abroad, and read. During her lifetime, she lived in California, Alaska, Colorado, Michigan and finally Oklahoma when she and Dick retired.

Her family was a great joy to her. She is survived by her three children: Gerald Landers and wife Judy; Leslie Landers Smith and her husband Michael; and Randy. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren plus nieces and nephews that she loved dearly and a brother-in-law, Doug Rockholt. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dick; all her siblings; and a son, Ricky, who died at birth. She leaves behind a legacy of caring, devotion and following her God.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on July 15 at 2:30 at SpiritLife Church on 56th and Peoria.